BELAGAVI: It is democracy with a difference in the tiny village of Bellada Bagewadi in Hukkeri taluk of Belagavi district. While elections to Gram Panchayats are in full swing in Karnataka, this village, which produces sugarcane in abundance, has known its fate for seven decades. The Katti family, which is from this village, holds the reins here. Panchayat elections are not contested, instead, the candidates are elected unopposed, and villagers abide by the family’s decisions on any developments. Umesh and Ramesh Katti take all the major decisions, with the consent of the GP members and villagers.
The villagers’ loyalty to the Katti family is unshakeable. Umesh Katti has won eight Assembly elections from Hukkeri, while his brother Ramesh has won as MP once. Prior to that, their father Vishwanath Katti was Hukkeri MLA.According to villagers, elections have been held unopposed to Group Panchayats and Mandal Panchayats in Bellada Bagewadi, before Gram Panchayats came into existence. A villager recalls that an election was held to one ward in Bellada Bagewadi GP in 1977 -- the first and last contest. This time round, 33 members were elected unopposed, and felicitated at the residence of Ramesh Kattiy. The villagers are appreciative of their election model: no cost, no tension and no bitterness.
Youngsters want a change
Kargaon Gram Panchayat, near Belagavi, has followed a similar prototype since 1962, though it is being challenged of late. The villages of Kargaon, Donwad and Hanchnalkeri, all in Chikkodi taluk, have 16 members in its six wards of Kargaon GP. Candidates have been elected unopposed for 58 years, and the only election held was in 2015.
The villagers attribute the success of a hassle-free election to senior citizens DT Patil and TY Kivad, an advocate. While efforts are on to ensure that they are held unopposed this time too, some youngsters of Kargaon wanted to break the mould and have a contest.